Background

In July 2012, CEER published its Guidelines of Good practice (GGP) on Price Comparison Tools, based on a set of 14 recommendations on how these tools can function effectively to the benefit of energy customers. The GGP cover multiple themes: independence of the tool, transparency, exhaustiveness, clarity and comprehensibility, correctness and accuracy, user-friendliness, accessibility and customer empowerment.

Since 2012, the issue of ensuring transparency and reliability of comparison tools (CTs), including those covering energy retail markets, has been further addressed at the European level. Studies on CTs and analysis of their functioning reveal that the level of services they offer is not fully satisfactory, which negatively impacts on customers’ attitude and confidence in their ability to take an advantage of using those tools.

In this framework, CEER decided to check whether and how the 2012 GGP can be enhanced in order to ensure that they still address, both at present and in the predictable future, the issues that energy customers face when approaching and using CTs.

CEER publishes the present consultation in order to stimulate all stakeholders to submit their vision and suggestions about two different topics:
•    Do the CEER 2012 recommendations need to be updated and if so, how?
•    What developments in different fields (technology, retail markets, etc.) may make further updating of the GGP necessary in the future?

The deadline for responses was Monday 16 January 2017.

Any questions on the consultation document and the online consultation should be directed to:

Mr Andrew Ebrill
CEER Secretary General
Tel. + 32 (0) 2788 73 30
Email: brussels@ceer.eu

Consultation Documents

Online questionnaire instructions - for information

C17-CEM-105-03, 20 December 2017

CEER public consultation guidelines

Responses Received

Public Hearings